Thill-coupling.



No. s7a,|e4. Patelix aml 9, IBM.

J. E.JOHNSON. I THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed Feb. 2, 1901.)

2 Sheats-$heat l.

(No Model.)

1M. wanna Prune c0v mmum. wmmoh. u. c

STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JAMES E. JOHNSON, OF PERRY, NEW YORK.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent N0. 678,184, dated July 9, 1901.

Application filed February 2, 1901. Serial No. 45,755. v (No model.)

the county of Wyoming and State of New York,-have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the fol; lowing is a specification. I

This invention relates to thill-couplings,

and the object is to provide a novel construction of thill-coupling which is adapted to be" readily substituted for the ordinary common thill-coupling at present so extensively in use upon vehicles. By employing the thill-couplingforming the subject matter of this invention there is no necessity for altering the shape of the thill-iron audits eye, and the same aXle-clipswhich are employed for se-' curing the old thill-coupling may be utilized for securing the thill-coupling of this invention. The coupling has associated therewith an antirattling device'in' the form of a rubber cushion or block, which acts directly on the thill-eye and contemplates novel means for retaining said block in place even when the thills are detached, and means forcompressing the rubber block and causing it to bear with the requisite force against the thill-eye in order to prevent rattling thereof. The body of the coupling is ofnovel form in itself and has associated therewith means for detaching thethill-eye and also for locking the members of the coupling in operative position after the thills have been connected thereto.

Other objects and ad vantages of the in vention will appear in the course of the ensuing description. V The invention consists in a thill-coupling embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and distinctly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l'is a plan view of a thill-coupling constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a'horizontal longitudinal section through the same; Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the coupling. Fig. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the thill-coupling. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the rubber' block and the eye plate, which bears againstthe same. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the securing-bolt.

Likenumerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Thebody of the coupling comprises two members, which have a relative pivotal movement'. The body of the coupling comprises a stationary member 1 anda hinged or pivoted' member 2, the said members being providedwith a kn'uckle-joint at the rear ends thereof, for which purpose one of the memb'ers-for example, the pivoted member 2-'-.is provided with a disk-shaped lug 3, which fits between twin ears 4, formed at the rear end of the'stationary member 1. The two members are pivotally connected by the rear ter- Y minal portion 5 of the axle-clip 6, which'se cures the coupling as a whole to the vehicleaxle; This is best illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the rear terminal portion 5 of the axle-clip 6 is seen to pass through registering openings in the parts 3 and 4 of the coupling member. The stationary member 1 is provided with an additionalopening 7 for the reception of the other terminal member 8 of the axle-clip 6, as illustrated in Figs. '2 and t.- It will thus be seen that the member 1 is fixedly secured to the axle by means of the clip 6, while the other member 2 is left free to be swung toward and away fromthe stationary member for the purpose of attaching and detaching the thill indicated at 9.

The two members of the body of the coupling are provided with forwardlyextending ears 10, which are spaced apart, as 1 shown in Fig. 2, sufficiently 'to receive be tween them the thill-eye 11, and said ears are also provided with oppositely-arranged openings 12 for the reception of the coupling-pin 13, the ends of which are received in the openings 12 and the central portion of which is received in the eye 11 of the thill 9. Ar-

ranged in rear of the thill-eye 11 is a cash-- ion-block 14, which isformed of rubber or other resilient material and which has its forloo for example, a single length of wire-the terminal portions of which are embedded in the block and secured thereto. Associated with the block 14: is an eye-plate 17, the shape of which corresponds to the rear face of the block 14, and said plate is provided with a central slot or eye 18, adapted to receive the retaining-loop 16 of the rubber block 14:, and said eye-plate serves to take the wear of the compression device, hereinafter described. The forwardly-extending side portions or cars 10 of the coupling members are provided with alining keyhole-slots 19, arranged with the narrow portions of the slots extending Tearward and adapted to receive and permit of the passage of several laterally -extending lugs on a securing-bolt 20, having an operating crank handle or arm 21 at one end thereof, which arm is provided with a terminal weighted portion 22, so as to cause the arm to assume a vertical pendent position and hold the bolt, with its lugs, in engagement, as indicated in the drawings. The securingbolt is provided at its outer extremity with a keeper-1n g 23, which after the bolt has been inserted through both members of the coupling is adapted to bear against the outer surface thereof, and for the purpose of obtaining a wedging action the said outer surface is preferably inclined, as shown at 24, so that as the securing-bolt is rocked through a halfcircle the lug 23 will cooperate with the inelined surface 2 L to draw the hinged member 2 of the coupling toward the stationary member thereof. The hinged member2 is also provided just beneath the keyhole-slot with a stop'shoulder 25, which extendson both sides of the larger portion of the keyholeslot, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to serve as a guide for entering the securing-bolt and as a stop for limiting the movement of the bolt after it has been rocked through substantially a half-circle. The securing-bolt is further provided intermediate its ends with compression-lugs 26, corresponding in shape to the keeper-lug and adapted to pass through the narrow portion of the keyhole-slotin the stationary memberl. Then the securing-bolt is rocked into its operative position, the lugs 26 are brought to bear against the eye-plate l7, and the latter is thus thrust forward,with the result that the rubber block 14: is pressed firmly against the thill-eye 11 and partially compressed, so as to obviate all liability of the thill-eye or coupling-pin 12 rattling in its bearings.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved coupling may be connected to a vehicle-axle by the same means employed for the attachment of the ordinary coupling and that one of the terminals of the clip forming the attaching means constitutes the pivot on which the hinged member of the coupling is mounted. It will further be seen that no change is required in the formation of the t'hill-eye, and by means of the pivoted relation of the two members of the coupling the said thill-eye may be readily connected with or disconnected from the coupling. It will further be seen that when the thill-eye is detached the rubber block is prevented from falling out of engagement with the coupling by means of the retaining-loop 16, which embraces the securing-bolt 20. At the same time by removing the securing-bolt the rubber block 14 may be removed, which becomes necessary only when the rubber block is too far worn to be of further use.

The thill-coupling hereinabove described is very simple and economical in construction and involves no small or delicate parts which are liable to get out of order. The thill-coupling involves a durable construction and will last as long as the vehicle itself. Should the thill-eye 11 be quite narrow, one or more washers maybe placed upon the coupling-pin 12 at one or both sides of the eye. It will also be understood that by reason of the cam action between the keeper-1n g 23 and the hinged member of the coupling the coupling members may be forced tightly against the thill-eye and rubber block 14:, and by means of the compression-lugs26 the rubber block may be forced tightly and held at all times snugly against the thill-eye, thus effectually overcoming any tendency of the parts to rattle and work loose.

I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details of construction hereinabove set forth, and accordingly reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-couplin g, the combination with the axle-clip, of a stationary member having the limbs of the clip projected therethrough, a movable member pivotally supported on one of the limbs of the axle-clip, said members being provided with registering keyholeslots immediate their ends, a resilient cushion between the members and abutting the thill-iron, and a securing-bolt through the keyhole-slots formed with radial lugs adapted to hold the cushion against the thill-iron.

2. A thill-coupling comprising relativelypivoted oppositely-lying members adapted to receive a thill-eye between them, a compressible block arranged to engage the thill-eye and provided with a retaining-loop, and a securing-bolt provided with a keeper-lug and with means cooperating with the compressible block, said bolt passing through the retaining-loop on the compressible block.

3. A thill-coupling comprising relatively pivoted oppositely-lying members adapted to receive a thill-eye between them, a compressible block provided with a retaining-loop, a securing-bolt provided with a keeper-lug and with compression-lugs, and an eye-plate embracing the retaining-loop and interposed between the compressible block and compression-lugs.

4C. In a thin-coupling, the combination with the axle-clip, of a stationary member having the limbs'of the clip projected therethrough, a movable member pivotally supported on one of the limbs of the clip, said members being provided with registering keyhole-slots, a thill-iron mounted between the front ends of said members, a resilient cushion between the members and abutting the thill-iron and provided with a loop in its rear end, and a securing-bolt having a depending Weighted arm and projected through the keyhole-slots and the loop on the cushion and formed with a lug on its end to engage the surface of the movable member and having lugs to engage the rear end of the cushion, substantially as I 5 described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES E. JOHNSON.

Witnesses;

MORRIS A. LovEJoY, WILLIAM T. DADD. 

